• Dandelion: To send a message to someone, blow the seeds in their direction, and visualize your message.

• Job’s Tears: As you count out seven seeds, concentrate on a wish you have in mind. Carry these seven seeds with you at all times for seven days and your wish should have come true before the week is gone.

• Lavender: Place some Lavender under your pillow just before retiring and think about your wish. If you dream about anything at all connected with the wish this means that it will come true.

• Lotus Root: Mark one side of the root “yes” and the other side “no” and then make your wish as you toss the root into the air. You will then know if your wish was meant to be.

• Marigold: Be sure to gather your Marigolds for magical workings at noon. If you place it under your mattress it will make whatever you dream come true.

• Spearmint: Write your wish on a piece of paper and wrap in a few Spearmint leaves. Place these in a red cloth and sew it up with red thread. Keep it in a safe and secret place. By the time the scent is gone your wish should have come true. If not, this means that it probably won’t for a long time to come.

So, I have been sorting through all of my Pagan files on my computer (I have way too many), and I came across a nice piece about what to put in your Book of Shadows. Now, It’s a great piece, don’t misunderstand me as you read my entry, BUT either it’s a LOT or I have been doing this whole thing wrong For a very long time!

I am not tearing down this person’s work, only explaining why I am making my above statement and defining why I think some people need to read Pagan related material with a critical eye, not everything is set in stone!

The list is in bold, my commentary is next to it.

Things to include in your BOS are listed below

A dedication–Okay.A protection spell for the book-okay.A blessing-okay.Table of Contents– why? If you use dividers it’s needless and wouldn’t you be constantly replacing this?Glossary of terms-Some people really might need this.Traditions in Wicca-WHOA; Stop for a second, not everyone is Wiccan. Not to mention, you never stated this was a Wiccan BoS build.Magickal Ethics-Wiccan Rede, Laws of Return, etc. – I believe in Ethics, it has a section in mine but under “General Information”.

Beliefs & Doctrines– Again, I have this in my “General” division.Herbalism-This has its own book, I keep many separate Binders, otherwise, I would have a HUGE heavy binder in which to work from…

Paranormal studies– Not everyone does this, should it be included anyway? It’s not exactly Magic(k) related.

*Some of this stuff could be in a “Book of Light” and is really up to the person building. A lot of people keep their BoS as a strictly working book with mainly spells and such. *

Recipes for:– in a different binder.

Ritual and holiday foods–Could be in “Sabbaths”

Bath Salts– maybe a formulary binder

Oils- Could be in Formulary

Incense- could be in Formulary

Meade and other drink– “Sabbaths” again or recipes.

*this whole section does not HAVE to be in a BoS, not everyone is cooking inclined, if not, why have it?*

Correspondences for: -Since there are tons out there, again, I keep mine in a separate binderAmulets Planetary hours Color magick Crystal, gemstones and minerals Elements Herbs, Plants and Trees Wheel of the Year Moon Phases

Days of the week

Planets

Months of the Year

*I don’t have much to say to this section, I enjoy correspondences (as you will learn), I think they are handy to have and to reference*Chakras – I don’t have anything at all in my personal BoS about chakras, I have read plenty about them but I don’t use them.Animal TotemsOils– again, great for your formulary if you collect a lotIncenses –See above

Dream interpretation –Some people keep these in a dream notebook, I am not sure it should be limited to a section of a BoSMagickal Symbolism and Alphabets-Although very pretty, and great for secrecy, often difficult to use every day. Can you imagine having to translate every time you need that particular ritual beforehand or even during? WOWCrafts – As much as I personally LOVE crafts and I have quite a collection of Pagan related crafts (dishcloth anyone?). I would think that this could be more than a mere section of a compilation.Listing of Books and Sacred Texts- Again, I reinforce this!Divination studies: –Another HUGE area! For myself, I have a separate binder for Divination. There is so much to it!Dowsing Egg Smoke, Flame, Fire Astrology Runes Scrying Pendulum Phallomancy Palmistry Tarot Tealeaves Numerology I-ching Face Reading Pedomancy Gastromancy Kumalak Playing Cards Ouiji Tyromancy Phyllorhodomancy Onychomancy Omphalomancy Uromancy Medicine Cards

*I admit, I had to look some of these up! I find that a lot of people learn about divination by topic, usually runes or tarot first, and then they expand to other areas. In the end, you usually end up with the one that suits you well and collect as much information as possible on that one.*

Shamanism-if this is for you.Wheel of the Year-traditions-SabbathsRituals and spells along with outcomes for those performed-Finally! I actually put this in my BoS!

Circle Casting-now, we are cooking with gas!

Cleansing and Consecration-BoS!Blessings- if you are like me,you poor thing, you end up collecting way too many of these and have a whole new binder for themQuarter callsMeditations– See my note on “Blessings”Prayers-See aboveCandle magick-BoSRitual ConstructionRites of Passage-BoSInvocations-For some reason I always stick these in my devotions binder.Music/Chants-DevotionsCrystal Healing-if this is for you, that isReiki-Again, not for everyoneAura Studies-not everyone does this.Tools-good to have a list, even if you don’t use them all or even if you make your ownWeb-weaving-a list of contacts and web addresses-I keep my bookmarks on my computer as well as contacts on a flash drive for back up.Dragon Lore-I don’t even keep theseFairy Lore-nor do I keep these.Humor- or even these ha-haIndex- Again, this is something I don’t see the sense in keeping as it would be in constant need of updating and on paper that would be a pain in the butt!

This concludes this list.

When I began on my path, I read all the books and I set up a 3 ring binder with so many tabs and dividers it looked like a medical cross reference book. And I never used most of them! I kept them for years and either the subject didn’t seem that interesting to me or I just never got around to it. Eventually as my BoS grew, I had to split it up into separate binders for specific uses. If I hadn’t, I would have had to use a crane to lift the darn thing!

I think at times, some authors feel very self-important and think they know what is best for everyone. And sadly, that just isn’t true. You have to be critical when reading anything and make you own decisions. If you like a subject and want to keep a tab in your BoS for it, then by all rights do so! If you don’t feel you need a tab dedicated to devotions because that doesn’t feel right to you, then don’t waste your time! This goes for the topic of Books of Light as well, not everyone (myself included) keeps one.

I have read articles that seem to shun the computer age, and state that you MUST have your BoS on paper bullcrap! If you want it on a flash drive or your hard drive, It’s yours not mine! Although I do recommend that you back up your files in case your computer decides to die an early death.

You can be as creative and diverse as you please. Your BoS is a reflection of yourself so don’t limit it!

The herbs listed below should be easily obtained at any grocery
store, and
should not get a second glance from even the most rabid anti-magickal
person

Some ways to include herbs in your spells are to simmer them on the
stove in
a pot of water, to include them in ritual foods or drinks, to burn
them in a
fire, or to place them in a bag, doll, or pillow. You can also
scatter them
on your working altar.

*Weather*
garlic (fair), saffron (raise wind) (Note: since you don’t get any
rain-making herbs, one of the very few shortcomings of the kitchen
herbal, I
will tell you that another folk method of bringing rain is to dip a
broom
into water and shake it out in the air. Or, you can go the modern
route and
wash your car.)

Unless I attach my name or it’s in the Randomosity Category, It is not my original content. I am sorting through all of my files over the next few days and what I have not written, I am trying my hardest to find the Original Author. So please bear with me in this endeavor to keep this blog honest! Thank you all for all of the support I have been receiving It’s been really overwhelming to learn that my words and my hobby of collecting Pagan related material actually matter to some one other than myself . You guys are really the best!